*Official* NZ Domestic Season

[Tim]

One other thing. We cannot continue to open with Stephen Fleming. Clearly he's not suited to that position & on current performance we're losing our best batsman without even having 50 runs on the board.
He's got to be batting at #3 or #4 IMO.

 

[Ming]

How do you know he's clearly not suited? He did well in England, and I can't see why he can't perform like that again in this series. Fleming also batted poorly in the ODIs, and he's just in a bad patch at the moment. Odd how he can suddenly be in the "form of his life" two months ago, to now....

 

[Tim]

Im still not convinced. Ideally we would have him at #3 or #4 because that would definately strengthen the top/middle order.
We really need to hope that Cumming performs well & that either Papps or How step up & do the same.

I'd like to see hopefully in September for the African tour:

Cumming
Papps
Fleming
Marshall
Styris
Fulton
Oram
McCullum
Vettori
Franklin or Butler
Bond

Marshall could perhaps go at #3?, he seems to play the new ball well.

Oops, forgot Astle...hmmm, im too tired to think about it now..heh.

 

[southern man]

in-form other than warren mcskimming but he would never threaten the aussies

He does bowl very consistent lines though.

 

[Ming]

McSkimming is only around Canning pace, who is 120-125....

I would like to see Fleming back at 3 or 4 too, but we don't have the luxuries in this series to play him at first drop or 4. Marshall should be our 3 for both Tests and ODIs, the fact is that, the longer he plays in any New Zealand innings, the better chance of us of building a good innings.

Jacob Oram back in as the 3rd seamer would give us at least one more wicket-taking option to Vettori. Hopefully Bond will be back by then, and Franklin sharing the new ball with him as well.

 

[Darrin]

*Official*NZ Domestic Season

One other thing. We cannot continue to open with Stephen Fleming. Clearly he's not suited to that position & on current performance we're losing our best batsman without even having 50 runs on the board.
He's got to be batting at #3 or #4 IMO.

This was something that i said prior to the first test. Fleming needs to be 3 or 4. it just says to me that the aussies would target fleming against the new-ball. That is ideal to the aussies, they have their best paceman with the new-ball against fleming. They would be delighted, and how stupid is that by the people who should know better.

 

[Smudge]

Thompson could potentially end up becoming a batsman who bowls at this rate. I haven't seen enough of him though to say whether he's international quality or not.

From commentary Ive heard on the radio, it seems parts of his game are agricultural.

 

[Tim]

I think Franklin has the potential to go well against the other test sides. He's not the first bowler to be carved up by Australia & he has shown good potential against Pakistan & England previously.

I think an attack of Bond, Oram, Franklin & Vettori looks quite well-balanced to me. You've got the quick bowler, the left armer, a bowler who gets good bounce & Vettori who's really finding some great form again.
Plus back-up from the likes of Styris & Astle.

Of course, thats easy to say all of those players will be fit & in form. But its probably the best attack we could put out on the park at the moment.

 

[Ming]

Yeah, I've seen Thompson play, and he's more of a "swash-buckling" batsman.

You have to say though, Fleming has got himself out most of the time in both the 1st Test and the ODI series. Flem missed that ball today from McGrath by a long way.

 

[Darrin]

*Official*NZ Domestic Season

Yeah, I've seen Thompson play, and he's more of a "swash-buckling" batsman.

You have to say though, Fleming has got himself out most of the time in both the 1st Test and the ODI series. Flem missed that ball today from McGrath by a long way.

I think they recognised that fleming was playing around his front pad and bowled to that technical deficiency.

 

[Tim]

But he's been doing that for most of his career too. You have to look at a number of the NZ batsmen and wonder how much better they could have been if they were more disciplined like Hamish Marshall has been.

I think it's too late with McMillan, he's getting to the point where whatever they tell him he won't be able to change.
Our best possible team has alot of talent & potential, yet how often is it we see players gift easy chances or throw their wickets away when some application is required.

 

[southern man]

I was talking to a guy who has a great knowledge of the domestic game. I asked about Ewen Thompson as a potential bowling all rounder, he told me that Thompson would make Bradley Scott look express.

 

[Tim]

I do recall seeing Ewen Thompson bowl a few years ago & yes I would agree that he would barely touch 125 km's.
Let's be honest, he's a fair way off national selection & I think someone like Aldridge or Scott has a better chance at the moment.

 

[Will Scarlet]

I think Fulton will be competing with James Marshall for perhaps the 3rd test middle order spot, unless McMillan miraculously scores runs at Wellington.

But when you stack up the numbers between Fulton & Marshall...there's no contest IMO. It has to be Peter Fulton. You cannot ignore a batsman in NZ especially who has a triple & double century to his name + an average of 50 over 3 seasons.

I don't see why James Marshall is in contention, apart from being Hamish's brother. Surely Fulton, Sinclair, Englefield, and Gaffaney should be ahead of him.

Choosing someone based on name rather than form is exactly why Wilson got into the BCs, and inevitably failed!

Ming, Fulton was the second best batsman on the SA A tour. Sinclair scored two big centuries I think. Fulton got the best score (98) in the OD matches, and a couple of fifties in the four day games.

Good to see batting form in the FC matches. Plenty of options to replace the likes of McMillan, and players to tour SA and ZIM.

Don't understand why O'Brian was chosen ahead of McSkimming, but a reasonable FC record. Aweful bowling action though. Should definitely stick with Franklin, as he is yet to show his potential in both bowling and batting in tests, but playing OK.

 

[Arjun]

I do recall seeing Ewen Thompson bowl a few years ago & yes I would agree that he would barely touch 125 km's.
Let's be honest, he's a fair way off national selection & I think someone like Aldridge or Scott has a better chance at the moment.

Joseph Yovich is another bowler who can score runs. Jesse Ryder has been averaging less than 22 with the ball (maybe 10) and has more than a wicket a match. If you have seen them in action, what do you think? With Styris and Oram out of action, the selectors can consider Ryder, Yovich and Thompson as replacements till the top all-rounders return. Pace should not be an issue- there can be another man picked for pace- Butler just took 8 wickets and may return. Besides, you still find slow bowlers making the NZ attack quite often, don't you?

 

[anzac]

I think it's too late with McMillan, he's getting to the point where whatever they tell him he won't be able to change.
Our best possible team has alot of talent & potential, yet how often is it we see players gift easy chances or throw their wickets away when some application is required.

Macca's biggest problem continues to be his attitude as per the quote I mentioned earlier.........from that it is evident that he is determined to do things his way and had ignored any reasons for his being dropped....

 

[anzac]

I'd like to see hopefully in September for the African tour:

Cumming
Papps
Fleming
Marshall
Styris
Fulton
Oram
McCullum
Vettori
Franklin or Butler
Bond

Marshall could perhaps go at #3?, he seems to play the new ball well.

Oops, forgot Astle...hmmm, im too tired to think about it now..heh.

forget Papps unless he changes his style of play.............
who knows they may decide to try James opening...........

 

[anzac]

I don't see why James Marshall is in contention, apart from being Hamish's brother. Surely Fulton, Sinclair, Englefield, and Gaffaney should be ahead of him.

Choosing someone based on name rather than form is exactly why Wilson got into the BCs, and inevitably failed!

IMO it's the style of player required as much as anything else....................

in principle I agree with your statement but in that instance Hamish would not have been selected at the higher level to start with.................

the reason why James comes into contention is that Sinclair is on the outer and James played in the recent ODI series - indicating that the selectors are interested & thinking beyond domestic stats, as IMO he does not have the best ODI stats this season.........

for the selectors to pick Gaffaney or Englefield for Tests now would represent a quantum leap & change of direction for the selectors.................

apart from his latest score what else has Englefield done this year to be ahead of the likes of Stewart or Taylor?????

 

[anzac]

I think Franklin has the potential to go well against the other test sides. He's not the first bowler to be carved up by Australia & he has shown good potential against Pakistan & England previously.

I think an attack of Bond, Oram, Franklin & Vettori looks quite well-balanced to me. You've got the quick bowler, the left armer, a bowler who gets good bounce & Vettori who's really finding some great form again.
Plus back-up from the likes of Styris & Astle.

Of course, thats easy to say all of those players will be fit & in form. But its probably the best attack we could put out on the park at the moment.

Franklin needs to get more swing and or be able to maintain the 135+kph he does in his opening spell / new ball in order to take his career to the next level - unless he does so he will remain as only being effective with the new ball.............

 

[anzac]

I do recall seeing Ewen Thompson bowl a few years ago & yes I would agree that he would barely touch 125 km's.
Let's be honest, he's a fair way off national selection & I think someone like Aldridge or Scott has a better chance at the moment.

looking at the stats (and I know they don't tell the whole story), but I have a suspicion that Scott is better suited to ODIs, while Wilson & Hamilton are better suited to the longer game.............

Aldridge is another that initially seems better with ODIs, but is on the improve in the longer game...........

what's happened to Schwass???